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Clinical Rehabilitation Strategies and Exercise for Stroke Recovery

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Rehabilitation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2026 | Viewed by 894

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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Stroke remains one of the leading causes of long-term disability worldwide, often resulting in motor, cognitive, and sensory impairments that significantly affect patients’ quality of life. Clinical rehabilitation strategies and targeted exercise interventions play a pivotal role in optimizing recovery and promoting neuroplasticity after stroke. Modern rehabilitation approaches incorporate evidence-based techniques such as task-specific training, constraint-induced movement therapy, robotic-assisted exercise, and virtual reality environments to enhance functional outcomes. In addition, aerobic and resistance exercises are known to improve cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, and overall brain health, facilitating both physical and cognitive recovery. Early and intensive rehabilitation, combined with multidisciplinary care involving physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and neurologists, is essential for achieving the best outcomes. Current research is increasingly focused on individualized rehabilitation programs, guided by neuroimaging, neurophysiological, and biochemical biomarkers, to monitor recovery trajectories and adapt interventions accordingly. This Special Issue aims to highlight recent advancements in stroke rehabilitation and exercise science, inviting studies and reviews that explore novel therapeutic techniques, biomarkers of recovery, predictive models of rehabilitation outcomes, and the mechanisms underlying neuroplasticity and functional restoration. Contributions that integrate clinical, neurobiological, and technological perspectives are especially encouraged.

Dr. Dimitrios I. Tsiptsios
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • stroke
  • stroke rehabilitation
  • exercise
  • biomarkers
  • rehabilitation outcomes

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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13 pages, 1009 KB  
Case Report
Precision Neuromodulation Treatment Reverses Motor and Cognitive Slowing After Stroke: Clinical and Neurophysiological Evidence
by Gianna Carla Riccitelli, Riccardo Gironi, Edoardo Ricci, Pamela Agazzi, Daniela Distefano, Chiara Zecca, Claudio Gobbi and Alain Kaelin-Lang
J. Clin. Med. 2026, 15(2), 713; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15020713 - 15 Jan 2026
Viewed by 641
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Chronic psychomotor and cognitive slowing after stroke can persist despite standard rehabilitation, especially in young adults with subcortical injuries. Innovative, integrated interventions are crucial for patients who have reached a plateau in their rehabilitation. We present a case of a 41-year-old male [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Chronic psychomotor and cognitive slowing after stroke can persist despite standard rehabilitation, especially in young adults with subcortical injuries. Innovative, integrated interventions are crucial for patients who have reached a plateau in their rehabilitation. We present a case of a 41-year-old male with chronic psychomotor and cognitive slowing following a left lenticulostriate infarction (NIHSS score = 5 at onset), who had plateaued after conventional rehabilitation. Methods: Over 4 weeks the patient underwent 20 sessions of a multimodal approach including high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic resonance stimulation over the supplementary motor area and bilateral temporo-parietal junctions and simultaneous computerized cognitive training targeting attention and executive function. Both motor and cognitive assessments, along with quantitative EEG (qEEG) evaluations, were conducted before and after the treatment. Results: At the end of treatment, the patient showed significant clinical improvement: speed and coordination in upper extremities (Finger Tapping Test) increased by 66% (dominant hand) and 74% (non-dominant hand), while finger dexterity (Nine-Hole Peg Test) increased by 25% (dominant hand) and 19% (non-dominant hand). Cognitive scores improved in alertness (58%), visual exploration (25%), and flexibility (24%), while divided attention remained stable. qEEG investigation showed increases in alpha (79%), gamma (33%), and beta (10%) power, with topographic shifts in the stimulated regions. Conclusions: These findings highlight the feasibility of combining targeted rTMS and cognitive training to enhance neuroplasticity in the chronic phase of stroke. Clinical recovery was accompanied by normalized cortical rhythms, suggesting qEEG biomarkers may be useful for tracking treatment response. Multimodal precision neurorehabilitation may offer a path forward for patients with persistent cognitive–motor deficits post-stroke. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Rehabilitation Strategies and Exercise for Stroke Recovery)
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